


The Little Boy with the Special Song

by CatKing_Catkin



Series: King's Blood [3]
Category: King's Blood (Card Game)
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Anger, Card Games, Cardverse, Cross-Generational Friendship, Emotional Abuse, Friendship, Gen, Growing Up, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Intrigue, Neglect, Peasants' Revolt, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2012-11-28
Packaged: 2017-11-19 18:50:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatKing_Catkin/pseuds/CatKing_Catkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There once was a tiny, happy kingdom on a mountain top. It was ruled by the benevolent, kind Saint Mary, who treated all her beloved subjects well and equally. </p><p>One of Saint Mary's greatest joys in life was when the little prince from the kingdom in the swamps would come to visit her with his parents. His name was Ogreous, a boy so small that his legs wouldn't even reach the ground when they sat down to tea at a little table for two. He was a loud little boy, an exuberant little boy, a boy with so many hopes and so many promises who loved the kind saint dearly.</p><p>But all good times come to an end. Saint Mary finds herself forced into a marriage with a pope from a more powerful neighboring kingdom, for the sake of peace and her people. She has her misgivings, as does Ogreous, but there's nothing to be done. </p><p>Years pass. The tiny, happy little kingdom on the mountaintop grows much less happy and a good deal poorer with an unkind Pope to rule it. The people suffer without hope. And, one day, a man comes to the castle, a man with a song of torment and tragedy to play. The people listen. Bloodshed results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Little Boy with the Special Song

"No! You can't do this!"

"I'm afraid I must, Ogreous."

"No! I won't let you!"

Saint Mary smiled fondly at the scruffy little child before her, all clenched fists and indignant rage. She patted him on the head, despite the ferocious scowl he was leveling at her. "You are sweet, Ogreous. But I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done."

Ogreous folded his arms. "I hate him! He's an evil man and he won't treat you right!"

Mary smiled peacefully. "Oh, no one could ever be as sweet to me as you are, Ogreous."

Ogreous nodded. "That's right!"

"And this won't be good bye. You'll always be welcome here."

"No, I won't!" Ogreous was getting upset again. "He hates me! He makes up excuses to my parents so they make me stay home! He doesn't want me to see you! He'll lock the door or lock me up or make me get in trouble so I have to stay in my room..."

Saint Mary knelt down and hugged the little boy. "No he won't, Ogreous. I'll make certain of that. After all, our little visits have been something I've been looking forward to for years. Who else will tell me how good my candy is? Who else will scrub my teapots so carefully? Who else will play such wonderful songs for me?"

"He won't," Ogreous mumbled, hugging her back. "He's an evil man, Saint Mary! If he hurts you, I'll make sure he pays for it!"

Saint Mary laughed. "I'm sure you will, Ogreous. When are your parents coming?"

"Who cares? I'll just live here with you, Saint Mary."

She patted him on the head again, eliciting another scowl. "No, dear. It's rather boring here. And there's no need to worry your parents."

"My parents don't worry about me," said Ogreous sulkily.

"They do, Ogreous. I promise."

"When can I come back?"

Saint Mary frowned. "Probably not until after the wedding. Things are very busy around here, and I'm afraid I might not...have...much...time..."

"...much time for me?" finished Ogreous quietly.

"No, dear, not that. Never that."

Ogreous swiped a fist across his eyes.

"No. I get it."

He forced a smile., and held up the twisted blackwood flute that was his family's treasure. "But I will see you at the wedding, Saint Mary! I'll bring my flute, and I'll play the greatest song you've ever heard! I promise!"

She smiled back at him, then pulled a piece of candy off the little table set for two and pressed it into his hands. "I look forward to it. Until next time, Little Ogreous."

He bowed, suddenly all manors and formality like the little prince she forgot he was.

"Until next time, Queen Mary."

* * *

However, she did not see him at the wedding. She did not see him after the wedding. In fact, it was many, many years after her marriage to Voluf VIII that she saw the little boy of the Demon Flute again.

A hood over her head, dressed in the rags her people now wore, Saint Mary trudged through the city. She walked among them to remind herself of their suffering. While Voluf had made the nobles richer and richer, and she herself was living in luxury she'd never dreamed of nor desired, it came at the expense of her beloved subjects.

But Saint Mary had lost all power to change that many years ago. Now, she could do nothing for them. Now that she was wedded to the monster Voluf, no one wanted her to.

But still, she walked among them. She walked among them, because she knew she deserved their suffering far more than they did.

And, one day as she walked, she heard music.

She stopped.

The tune was long, drawn out, and sad. It echoed through the houses, and people everywhere were stopping to listen, heads cocked. The music, flute music, soared throughout the streets.

She gasped, and hurried on.

Further on, the music was getting louder, and there was a crowd blocking traffic. The crowd was centered on a single spot.

Saint Mary, with a disregard so unlike her, pushed her way through the crowd. She knew that music. She knew it well, although she had not heard it for years.

And there he was. He stood, in the center of the crowd, a bowl filled with gleaming coins at his feet. He stood straight and tall as a prince, still just as scruffy and untidy as she remembered but...something more. He was no longer a fighter. He didn't need to fight. He was in command.

With his flute to his lips, he played a sad, sad tune. A tune that called them all. A tune that seemed to be fill of the suffering of the kingdom.

Of the suffering of a little boy who'd never been able to play a special song.

Saint Mary could not bear to watch any longer. Some in the crowd were weeping. Others stood stony-faced, fierce and grim.

Overwhelmed by the emotion of her people, she retreated.

* * *

The next time she saw Ogreous was the next day.

On her way back from morning prayer, she saw Voluf standing in the hallway, arguing with the guards.

"I don't care who he is!" her husband was yelling. "I want him gone and I want that mob dealt with!"

"Sir, there are limits as to what we can do!" Commander Helious was protesting. "He is the Prince. If we take hasty action, Dark Valley will retaliate in kind."

She saw Voluf pause, and knew why. There had been border disputes with Dark Valley last year, despite her protests and entreaties. Even Helious, tactical genius he was, had been defeated by General Amphility and was not eager to repeat the experience any time soon.

Mary, hands folded tightly into her robes, swallowed and stepped into the light. "My lord, what seems to be troubling you?"

He rounded on her, eyes blazing. “That little brat of your’s is what’s bothering me! He’s got together a little gang, and they’re parked right outside my gates!”

She let out a little gasp.

Voluf rounded on Helious. “Handle it! If anything goes wrong, send a message to Dark Valley telling them to train their Prince to behave properly!”

Helious bit his lip, but bowed.

“As you wish, my lord.”

He hurried out. Mary made as if to follow him. Voluf flung out an arm to stop her.

“I don’t think so,” he growled. “There’s dusting to be done, Mary. See to it!”

She stiffened...but bowed. As she had done for many years.

“Of course, my lord.”

* * *

“Ogreous...” said Helious dryly, folding his arms and staring down the palace steps at the figure leading the mob. “We’ve had this conversation before, and the Pope is quickly losing patience.”

“If he’s losing so much patience, tell him to come out and speak to me himself!” snapped Ogreous. “I’ve got things to say to that bastard!”

The Pope does not wish to be bothered,” said Helious simply. “So he delegates to me. Ogreous...I have been authorized to use force this time. It’s time to stop playing around.”

Ogreous grinned wolfishly. “I stopped playing around the day he came into my life. And you say you’ve been authorized to use force? Well...” he put his flute, the Demon Flute, to his lips. “...so have I! Listen to the Melody of Despair!”

* * *

All through the castle, people fell to their knees, hands over their ears as the sound ripped through the castle. It was pain as sound. It was pain like none had ever heard before. Some wept. Others screamed. Saint Mary, who had been watching the scene from a window, gritted her teeth but kept her feet. She’d heard the tune before, which gave her an advantage. Ogreous had played it, albeit a far less potent version, when he’d been having a temper tantrum.

“Ogreous...” she said. She had to stop this. People didn’t act rationally under the Melody of Despair. They would do anything to make it stop, stop the pain ringing in their ears. If Ogreous was trying to start a fight, he was on the right track.

Forcing her feet to move, she made for the front doors.

Pandemonium reigned outside. The guards had been called, although probably not by Helious. The people, with their own homemade weapons,=2 0were fighting back with tooth and claw. It was a bloody conflict. Saint Mary watched in horror as, in the midst of it all, Ogreous continued to play.

“Ogreous!” she cried. “Ogreous, stop!”

She knew he saw her, knew his gaze flickered to her, but he did not stop. Saint Mary stumbled down the steps, the pain increasing by leaps and bounds the closer she got to the Prince.

“Ogreous!” she yelled again. He did not stop.

She stumbled, through the screaming and fighting. She stumbled, making for the boy causing all this chaos.

“Ogreous, please!” she cried, clutching his shoulders. But he pulled away from her and twirled gracefully out of her reach, playing on and on. She did not give up. She continued to approach him, calling his name even as the despair poured through her mind.

The last thing she felt was a pain shooting through her chest. The last thing she saw was his eyes go wide. The last thing she heard was the end of the song as his flute fell from stricken fingers and clattered on the ground.

_“Saint Mary!!”_

* * *

Saint Mary dreamed.

She dreamed she sat at the little table for two, with the little boy whose legs dangled off the ground and who’s flute was as large as he was. She dreamed that they talked, though she did not know about what.

“I’ll play the greatest song you’ve ever heard, Saint Mary!” he declared, beaming at her. “Don’t you worry!”

She patted him on the head, and this time he did not scowl. “I never do, Ogreous. Not with you.”

But when she awoke, they were not at the little table for two. She was in bed, in her room, sheets drawn up to her chin and feeling bandages around her chest. Ogreous, now a man, sat next to her and clutched one of her hand’s in both of his.

A smile of pure relief broke over his face as her eyes focused. “Saint Mary...”

“Ogreous...”

He pressed his forehead to her fingers. “They told me...they told me it was hopeless...”

Shakily, she gripped his hands with her other one. “It’s never hopeless. I taught you that. Are you all right?”

His expression turned bitter. “Yeah. I’m fine. What about you?”

She smiled bemusedly. “Well, what about me?”

“Saint Mary, you were hurt. Stabbed. I saw it happen. Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m quite well,” she assured him. She attempted to sit up, but pain lanced through her chest and she fell back. Ogreous gasped, but she waved him away.

He watched her as she breathed deeply, trying to expel the pain. Then, so quietly that she almost missed it:

“I tried to come.”

She stared at him. Ogreous shifted uncomfortably, then plunged on.

“I tried to come. I was on my way, I really was. But my parent’s coach was waylaid on the road. Bandits. They took me hostage, kept me there for a week. I tried to come. I tried to escape, but I couldn’t get away until my ransom was paid. Even then, I tried to find you. I tried to come, Saint Mary. I did. But after that, no one wanted me on the road anymore. And I thought...I thought...” He bit his lip, and looked away. “You always taught me that liars are punished. I lied. So I didn’t want you to punish me.”

Her heart ached for this little boy, and she reached out a hand. He gripped them tightly.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly.

“You shouldn’t have married him. I’ve heard what he’s done to this place. What he’s done to you. This used to be a wonderful place before he took command. Now it’s a dead man’s town. When I heard about how things were going...it made me so angry. So angry that I couldn’t play anything but anger and hate. All directed at him. It just built up inside of me, all those years. I...I couldn’t stop myself.”

He kissed her fingers, suddenly humble and sad. “I’m sorry. Your people died today because of that. I don’t deserve forgiveness, Saint Mary. Not after what I caused today. It’s the reason you’re laying there. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...”

She patted him on the head.

Without thinking, he scowled at her.

“That’s my little Ogreous...” she murmured sleepily. “You be sure and scrub the teapots well.”

He smiled as her murmurs faded to nothing. “Of course, Saint Mary. And I’ll even wash the sugar bowl.”

“Good boy...”

With that, she was asleep.

* * *

Three sharp knocks sounded at the door of Voluf VIII. He ignored them.

Three knocks sounded again, far more insistant.

He continued to ignore them.

His would-be visitor simply kicked the door in after that and strode into the room.

“Pope Voluf VIII,” said Ogreous, murder in his eyes. “It’s time we had a little talk. I’m not a little boy anymore, and I think I can finally keep your attention.”

* * *

This was not the melody of despair. This was a melody of happiness, of new times and new beginnings. Of sunny days to come and rainy days that would pass. Of new adventures and old memories.

Saint Mary listened as the song whirled its way through her dreams, and was peaceful.

Ogreous watched the peace on the old woman’s face as, with his flute, he played a tune he had not played for many, many years. When the song finally wound its way to a close, he lowered it with a sigh.

“I promised,” he murmured. Then, he pulled out a piece of her candy that he‘d found in the old jar, and stuck it in his mouth. “That I’d play the greatest song you’d ever heard. Well, Saint Mary. I wish I could hear what you thought of it.”

But by the time she awoke, the man with the demon flute who had once been a boy was long gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Ogreous soon became one of my favorite characters, like Ruka became my friend's. I don't know why, there's just something so very...scrappy about him. He's a quintessential Spanner in the Works, which is a good thing to have in a story about plots and political intrigue. 
> 
> He appears in a few more stories after this one, and will likely feature in a few more, but this is his canonical first appearance.


End file.
